Personal projects

2020 was a year that some would elect to act as if it had never happened, but this project challenged that idea. Letters to Let Go was an idea that grew from the soil of a year filled with hardships, loneliness, and struggles with mental health. While the idea was inspired by 2020, the execution of the project drew influences from a fond memory shared by my mother amongst her and her siblings. 

Before the world had gone digital, there was a time when someone's wallet was not only their lifeline but a place to store keepsakes and memories. From coupons, movie tickets from dates, and phone numbers and addresses written on scratch paper all of it lived within one's wallet. These paper-based memories began to overflow compartment of my mom and her sibling's wallets... until the night they decided it was time to create space. Armed with a lighter and an ash tray, they sat on the balcony of their beach house preparing for closure that was long overdue. One by one they took turns choosing a piece from their past out of their wallet that had overstayed its welcome, and let it burn until its ashes filled the tray in front of them. After this impromptu experience was complete, they now had more room in their wallet, mind, and heart for the new memories life would bring.

And that is exactly what Letters to Let Go set out to accomplish on December 31, 2020. As humans we are often too preoccupied with "what was" and "what will be", and rarely allow ourselves to fully experience "what is". This project encouraged participants to write a letter to themselves that would address and relieve the baggage that they accumulated in 2020, so that they might be able to walk and breathe into 2021 just a little easier and lighter. After reading their letter out loud, they were asked to throw their letter into a fire, and write their Word of the Year on a card to keep in the wallet as an intentional beginning for their fresh start.

As early as I can remember, my mind has seemed to constantly be on the cusp of sliding down a slippery slope. Preoccupied with thoughts, thoughts about those thoughts, and then thoughts about what those thoughts might mean. Being someone who was this anxious at such a young age it was rare for me to have time where my mind 

was completely at ease. 

I begun my journey with therapy when I was 10 years old, and starting that early I thought I would have had things figured out by the time I was "grown up". I couldn't have been more wrong. During the Fall semester of my Freshman year at West Chester University of Pennsylvania I found myself in the deepest, darkest depression I had encountered in my 18 years. I was scared, felt alone, and losing the drive to get out of my bed each day to get to class. I knew once I left the comfort of my safe dorm room there was a terrifying world 

waiting for me. 

On the days where my anxiety attacks would onset during a class the only remedy (aside from a major case of restless leg syndrome) was taking my pen and drawing a "+" on the index finger of my left hand. This plus sign symbolized hope for me. It reminded that deep down there was a piece of me that wanted and needed to get better. I then elaborated on the symbol in my notebook and adopted the phrase "Stay+" as my north star for the remainder of college. 

I thought to myself, "If this simple phrase is helping me it's got to help somebody else too... right?". Throughout my junior and senior year I designed and created shirts (featured above) using one of the handwritten "Stay+" notes from my notebook. With the help my my amazing friends, I would go on to sell over 400 of these shirts, and partner with West Chester University Community Mental Health Services to donate therapy sessions at no-cost to the individual seeking treatment.

UMUV (pronounced "you-move") is an up-and-coming dropshipping company whose mission is to provide weekend warriors and nomadic travelers alike with the gear necessary to get the most out of their trip. 

I had the opportunity to be brought in as a creative consultant with the company's owner to help with the marketing and personally develop the logo design.

Since 2016 I have been an active creator on Redbubble, a global online marketplace for print-on-demand products based on user-submitted artwork.

In the time that I have managed my shop and artwork, I have sold 2,500+ units, accumulated nearly 4,000 favorites on various items in my store, and am now focused on growing my follower base which sits at 40 accounts.

When I was younger, I can admit that I chose to put more emphasis on academics than athletics; however, as time has progress I've realized the reward and satisfaction that comes from pushing the limits mentally AND physically. 

I enjoy running, enduring seemingly never ending bike rides, and hikes with friends and family. Some of my favorite activities, though, have a bit higher of stakes. 

In early March of 2021 I began I took my first steps on a weekend-long challenge. Every 4 hours for 48 hours I would run 4 miles. Over the course of the competition I would get double-insertional achilles tendonitis, a stress fracture in my left foot, and my brand new car would be stolen. Looking back, the running might not have even been the toughest part of the weekend. Check out this video if you'd like to get a glimpse of what it was like!

I grew up in a home that seemingly never had the radio on off. Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen to Funk Master Flex you name it, and chances are I have heard it. We were raised with our own soundtrack playing each day, and it wasn't until I got older that I realized how lucky we were. 

Nowadays I still manage to keep that soundtrack alive in a few different ways:

Since July of 2018 I have created a playlist for each month. Some are hours long, and others only have a few songs. But the length is not what matters, it is the memories that are attached to them. They help me tell the story of where I was, who I was with, and what I held close to me during that time. These playlists are like a scrapbook of the last few years.

Next, I help manage my company's Spotify account and playlist creation. Being able to help employees feel recognized and represented through music has quickly become one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

Finally, I've begun to teach myself how to DJ! Being only a few months in, and with so much more to discover, I'm excited to see where this new hobby takes me!